(ON HIATUS!) Pokémon TMR: Buried Secrets (book 2)
by TheRisingFlame
Summary: Now on a journey to find the Forbidden Light told in the prophecy, Liam, Luna, Xera, and their Pokemon travel to the Central Mountains after escaping the Jungle Tribe. Liam may not know what the prophecy entails, but what he does know is that he wants to know everything about this mysterious region. Secrets lie beneath the island, but knowing may be more horrifying than Liam hopes.
1. Prologue: An Early Christmas Present

I stared at the Motostoke factories spew out black smoke, filling the air with it. I looked down at the people holding umbrellas, all in dirty clothing as they either went towards the factories or away. A light rain pounded down onto the dirty, rat filled streets. I looked directly below where the entrance to our apartment was. My brother, Ryan was saluting an officer while in his uniform. The officer nodded, said something that was lost to the noise of Motostoke and climbed into a horse-drawn carriage. The horses whinnied and clipped-clopped down the cobblestone street and out of sight.

Ryan seemed to release some tension in his shoulders, taking off his hat. He looked up and gave me a smile. I stepped back from the window and shut it, the noise outside somewhat muffled. This moment reminded me of that day many years ago, when Dad died. When Ryan was first getting deployed. He was only supposed to be gone for a year, but things with Kalos escalated and he ended up having to stay for two. He had returned alive and was on break. But he's been deployed to many different areas already many times, so at this point I felt almost indifferent about it happening again.

I tried to distract myself by sitting down on my desk, pulling my notes from the drawer. I spread them out, grabbing the world map. It was one the latest editions, including a couple more colonies over in the New World. I had compared this to old maps, but whenever I had spotted something amiss, it was always because of map errors.

"I will find it," I muttered. "I will find the region in your stories, Dad."

A knock and Ryan poked his shaved head into the room. "Still at it?"

I nodded. "I won't stop."

He gave a slight smile. "I gave up trying to stop you a long time ago. But, get out more."

"I do," I said. "To buy more maps."

He sighed. "I mean just get out to do stuff other than this. Hang out with friends or something. I don't mind if you continue doing this, but I would feel a little better if you did more than just that."

"Maybe," I said. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," he said.

"That stunt you pulled off didn't make them reconsider?"

Ryan scowled. "What's wrong with having a couple a drinks?"

"Nothing, I guess," I said, piling a couple papers together. "But I was hoping they wouldn't deploy you for it. You and your friends were pretty drunk. Certainly showed the people of Galar we have reliable soldiers."

Ryan sighed again. "You don't want me to go that badly, huh?"

I didn't answer, just brought out a fresh paper and took the pen from the ink bottle.

"Look," Ryan came over, the floorboards creaking, and set his hand on my shoulder and his Wooper leaped onto my desk. "This will be the last time, I promise. The war with Kalos should be over soon."

He stopped, then rummaged in his pockets. "Since I'll be away for Christmas, I thought I would give you your present early."

I stopped with the pen hovering over the paper, a drop of ink staining the paper. Wooper rubbed his head against me and I smiled slightly as I rubbed him.

"That got your attention," Ryan chuckled and brought out a cracked stone. "I found this over in Kalos one time. I know you enjoy rocks and such, so I got you this."

He dropped it in my hand and I studied it. Stripes of jade green and white adorned the smooth outside, while the other half must've been broken off of something, the pieces hard and jagged. The entire thing was about the size of a small marble.

"Thanks," I said softly.

"Hey," Ryan ruffled my hair. "No need to thank me. I am leaving after all. It's the least I can do."

He got up and turned towards the door, stopping with his hand on the knob. "Hey, I will be back, just like always."

"I know," I said, not looking at him.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but whatever he said was muted. Everything began mixing together as the scene faded away.

...

I groaned, feeling a sense of weightlessness. Something was tied tightly around my legs, binding them together. I was experiencing a slight rocking motion, akin to that of being on a ship out at sea.

"The stone," I muttered, trying to remember Ryan's voice. "I... I brought it along... didn't I? Then... did I lose it... in the storm?"

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to remember where I was. I could remember, leaving Galar, getting caught up in that storm, and...

My eyes shot open and my head jerked, causing me to grimace in pain. I glanced up to see vines wrapped tightly around my legs which led all the way up into a tall tree. Around were many other trees, each one lush and beautiful. I was suspended about ten feet off the ground and below were roots and a mossy forest floor, which included some sort of moss that grew over and around things.

I lifted my arms, which felt very sore, and grasped my head, trying to fight the headache coming on. I remembered arriving on the island, watching my brother shoot himself, the Jungle Tribe, the Hive, and...

"Luna," I said aloud, startling myself. "Xera!"

I felt myself swing slightly as my head darted around, looking. Just five feet away, hanging like me, was Luna, still unconscious.

"Unconscious," I thought. "Not asleep? Why would that word be my first thought..."

A sense of dread filled me as my mind reconnected the pieces. I looked back down at the strange curved moss along the forest floor. I watched as it lifted up and down, breathing. I felt something above me, sliding down my legs. I moved my eyes to look up and I stared directly into the face of a giant Serperior.

**MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL! I HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME TODAY!**

**And Pokemon TMR is back! I hope you all missed it, because I got one heck of a story to tell. This story will be lacking a cover for the time being, so just be patient. Since you're here from the first book, I can assume you enjoyed it. So, prepare yourselves. That was only the intro into this Mysterious Region. Things are going to pick up with new places to explore, new people, new mysteries, and new threats. Liam, Luna, Xera, and all their Pokemon are back in this thrilling sequel; Pokemon TMR: Buried Secrets. I hope you all can enjoy this ride with me. Also, side note, the I'm thinking of having the schedule be every three weeks I'll post a chapter, at least when my Christmas Break is over and School starts up again. The reason being is that I want to progress LDOC as much as possible, since there's 80+ chapters planned. Since this story will only be 30 chapters total like the last one, I figured an every three week schedule sounds appropriate. Thanks to those coming back to read this. Toodles**


	2. Chapter 1: Lair of the Snake King

"I heard it again," I said, on edge, constantly looking through the trees around us.

"Yeah," Luna sounded irritated. "I know. It's been following us for a while now. Not much we can do about it, unless of course you want to seek it out."

"No," I admitted. "Not really."

I gripped my sword's hilt. Whatever was out there had been stalking us for the entire day. Maybe even longer, since I could remember hearing the same slithering noise back when we were still traveling to the Hall of Giants.

Xera climbed down from the tree she had climbed, Grovyle landing on the ground beside her.

"How far?" Luna asked.

"I'd say another day of walking," Xera said. "The plateau isn't that far off now."

"It's gonna be one heck of a climb though," Zoroark, in human form, said while tearing off a chunk of meat with pointy teeth. "Though, I wouldn't know."

Luna nodded. "From what I remember, there is a sort of path up it, but there are parts where you're going to have to climb."

I groaned. "Yeah, I'm dead."

Yanmega buzzed from my lap and I rubbed his head. "No, your wings might not be able to support me still. Thanks though."

Yanmega buzzed sadly and shifted himself into a more comfortable position.

"When are we eating?" Luna sounded agitated, throwing a stick into the trees. "I'm hungry."

A cry came from behind me and I turned my head to see Leavanny nimbly hopping down from a tree branch. In her arms she held a big leaf, an assortment of fruits piled together.

She offered one to me first, so I grabbed two. "Thanks."

She gave a happy cry and moved on towards Luna and Z while I put one of the fruits next to Yanmega's head, who began eating right away. Chuckling, I bit into the orangeish fruit, relishing the unique sweet flavor.

"There's nothing like this in Galar," I said, thinking of my home region. "It's really good."

"Ugh," Z stared at her green fruit with distaste. "I prefer meat."

"Go into the forest then," Luna said, swallowing the rest of her fruit. "Hunt whatever's been hunting us."

"Hmph," Z leaned back against a tree. "I might just do that."

"Liam," Luna said in my direction. "You have first watch. Wake me after a bit."

She clumped a bunch of leaves and moss under her head and turned over to sleep, her long white hair almost like a blanket.

"I don't have watch duty tonight it seems," Xera said, starting to climb back up the tree. "I found a spot up here where I can sleep peacefully. Wake me when it's morning."

"Sure," I nodded as Grovyle leaped up into the tree after Xera.

I stretched as dusk became night and the moon began to shine down through the cover of the trees. It was at times like these where I was able to have moments to myself to just relax and unwind.

"Seems like it'll just be us two for now then."

At least, that's what it used to be like.

"Why are you still here," I asked, purposely not looking.

"Because," Eric moved into my line of sight, sitting on a moss covered rock, the hole I had created with my sword still present in his chest. "You can never get over killing another human being."

I turned away, trying to push down my emotions. Eric, while alive, had tried to kill me and my friends. I had every right to hate him. But now, I only was able to feel anguish. I hadn't known what life had truly meant until I took someone's with my own hands.

"Just leave me be," I said, choking back my emotions. "You tormented me enough before..."

Yanmega and Leavanny were looking at me with concern, so I smiled for them. A fake, sad smile.

"You know I can never leave," Eric leaned forwards. "I will be right here, next to you on the rest of your journey."

Moments of silence stretched on for seemingly an eternity. Finally, I asked a question I never got to ask when he was alive.

"What did you do to my brother's body?" I asked, almost afraid for the answer.

Eric chuckled. "That? Come on, it should be plainly obvious."

His face grew dark, cruel. "I hate you. I hate you outsiders, all of you. I had to put up a pretense when I was assigned to you, but I was able to enjoy that moment when I found your brother's grave."

A twisted smile appeared on his face. "So I dug up his body. I wouldn't allow him to rest in peace, not after what the outsiders had done to our island. I threw his body into the Endless Pit, where his rest will never come."

I wanted to yell, scream at him. But, I knew it would be in vain. He wasn't real, only in my head. Plus, I didn't want to wake and worry Luna and Xera.

"Just leave me alone," I said, turning my back on him.

"But then I can't warn you," Eric said, causing me to whirl around as he began to fade. "That the forest is moving..."

He disappeared entirely and the forest grew silent. I looked around. It was unusually silent. Generally the Bug Pokemon would be making songs around now, but nothing. I thought I saw something, so I strained my eyes into the darkness. It was moving. Slowly, curling, then I felt something wrap around my legs. Before I could utter a word of surprise, I was yanked backwards into the jungle. I was dragged along the forest floor before being let go and slamming into a tree.

I doubled over, groaning in pain as I felt something loom over me. As I raised myself to look, something slammed into my chest, knocking me out as I was pushed against the tree.

...

I froze as I stared into the giant Serperior's eyes, the sound of my beating heart way too loud. He hissed, a red fork tongue centimeters away from my face. He blinked and slid back up and disappeared into the tree. The ground moved again, his long serpent body blending in with the foliage, to the point where I had no idea if his head was still up in the tree or on the ground.

"This isn't good," I muttered, twisting in my vines. My sword was still attached to my hip, pressed against my leg. I didn't feel anything else in my pockets, so I figured anything I did have must've fallen out.

"Great," I closed my eyes, knowing I was gonna miss the flask, flint and steel, and my spear.

A bit more wriggling and I discovered I still had my knife on me, the one I had found on Ryan's body.

I stopped, the thought of Ryan reminding me of that stone he had given me. It's strange, I knew I had brought it on the trip to find the Mysterious Region, yet I totally forgot about it till now.

"Doesn't do me any good," I sighed. "It's probably somewhere at the bottom of the ocean now."

I could just imagine Luna saying that it was just dead weight and that I should just abandon it.

I lifted my gaze to look at her, wrapped in vines and hanging like me. She had yet to awake, a spot of dried blood on her forehead. That couldn't be good.

I heard a soft cry and I looked past Luna's body and to a branch on a tall tree. There, hidden in thick leaves, was Leavanny. Our eyes met and she nodded. She pointed up and I looked to see Yanmega above the treetops.

I grinned. Things were looking up. Just in the nick of time too. My head wasn't feeling that great from hanging upside-down for who knows how long.

I then noticed Xera hidden on the forest floor. Her eyes narrowed at me, then began looking around her carefully.

Then she did something that I felt was idiotic.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Come and get me you big snake!"

The ground came alive all at once, the foliage twisting and the trees swaying. The giant snake's body lifted up, his head uncurling from his chest, his sharp red eyes focused on Xera. She grinned, running back into the jungle. Serperior's tail shot out of nowhere, homing in on Xera, but a Dragonite flew down, slamming a fist against the tail. Looked like Xera and Z were being the distraction.

I looked back at Luna to see Leavanny cutting away at the vine holding Luna to the branch. Once cut, Leavanny lowered both of them to the forest floor on a string of web. Dewpider was cutting away at the vine holding me up, Yanmega the one to carry me down. Once on the ground, I was able to stand, the vines falling off of me.

"Oh thank you," I breathed, smiling, but very dizzy, so I had to sit. "That did not feel good."

Yanmega flew down and settled down next to me, nudging my side. I nodded.

"Thanks," my vision was clearing up and I wasn't too unsteady, so I made my way over to Luna. Thankfully the wound on her head didn't look serious and seemed to have closed up by now. For safe measures, Leavanny put a small web in place where the wound was.

At that moment, Luna's face pinched together and she blinked open her eyes.

"Oh," she held her head, eyes closed again. "Oh, this does not feel right. What happened."

"A giant Serperior it seems," I looked back at where it disappeared to chase after Xera, surprisingly calm about everything. "It caught the two of us."

"This is all your fault Outsider," Luna groaned as she got to her knees. "You were on watch duty."

"I was?" I thought back. "Okay, yeah, I guess I was. Sorry."

We looked at each other and blinked, once, twice.

Adrenaline began to surge through me as I quickly got to my feet. "Why are we still here!?"

Luna hurried to her feet. "Yanmega, which way to the plateau?"

He buzzed and looked in the opposite direction of where Xera and Z ran off to.

Luna, probably sensing my dread, said, "They'll be fine. They'll catch up to us eventually. For now, let's get out of-!"

Without warning, she tackled me to the ground as the ground erupted in a storm of leaves, right where I had been standing. Yanmega flew into the air and Leavanny pulled herself and Dewpider up into a tree as two more leave tornadoes erupted around us.

Luna said something in her language I assumed was cursing. She rolled off of me and rose to her feet. "I really wish I had my spear."

I looked back at the jungle to see Serperior beginning to loom over us. I hurriedly got to my feet and put my hand on my sword's hilt, stopping there. I saw Eric standing in front of the snake, giving me a smile. I blinked and he was gone. My hand shook, trying to tell myself it was just a Pokemon, not a human.

_"But,"_ my thoughts raced. _"What's the difference!? They're both living beings with thoughts and feelings like me!"_

"Liam," Luna hissed. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Serperior's eyes gleamed as he sensed my feelings of turmoil, rearing his head back, fangs gleaming in the sunlight. A shadow blocked out the sun and Z, in Dragonite form, crashed down into the giant snake's head, slamming it to the ground. She leaped off him, landing between us and him, a fist sparking with electricity.

Xera ran out of the jungle towards us, nearly out of breath.

"You should've ran," she said, hands on her knees. "That thing realized what we were up to sooner than I expected."

"Let's do that now," Luna glanced at my shaking hand. "He's not able to do anything but that at the moment."

Xera nodded and took off, Luna close behind. Yanmega buzzed on my head, turning me in the direction they were running. Shaking my head and taking my hand away from the hilt of my sword, I ran after them. Yanmega flew above me and I could hear the roar of Serperior as he fought Z. As I ran, I saw Eric, mouthing the word "coward". I gritted my teeth and did my best to ignore him, knowing he would be my constant companion of my fears and doubts brought into a physical being. And I ran, into a wild full of dangers.

**Finally got the first chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it. Not too much going on so far, just a giant garden snake and a guy who just won't leave Liam alone, even after death. Let's see where I can take all this for the next 29 chapters. I expect another two-three weeks until the next chapter. In-between that time, LDOC. I'm trying to commit to this for every 2 chapters of LDOC, I get 1 of TMR 2 out. Let's see if this sticks. Till next time my faithful readers. Toodles**


	3. Chapter 2: Climbing the Plateau

The echoeing sounds of footsteps in a cave. A tunnel that stretched endlessly. Then stars. So many of them, twinkling in the darkness. Many different colors, all holding a story, all knowing what is to come.

An old man was on his knees, hands held in prayer. His dark head was bald and a white beard adorned his face. His eyes were closed, his face soft as if he were asleep.

"So you've come to visit."

His lips had barely moved, his posture never waning.

"You seek the Forbidden Light, do you not?"

I opened my own lips to speak, but no sound came out. It was only then I came to realize I was there, but not. I vaguely my surroundings, but everything felt so distant.

"You walk a dangerous path," he turned his head slightly in my direction, his eyes never opening. "Many have sought the light, but none have ever truly attained it. The knowledge that comes with it, it must never be spoken. Some secrets are best kept buried."

His eyes opened, revealing a startling blue. "I await your arrival, one who upset the balance of nature."

...

I awoke, gazing at the red sky. Morning had come and the sun was rising.

"Hurry and get up," a quick kick to the side of my stomach told me Xera was the one to come and wake me, not that she cared that I was awake before the kick. "We don't have all day. Luna wants us to start as early as possible, since we'll be going straight to night."

I groaned, rolling onto my stomach so I could pick myself up. "Of course we are. I'm still sore from running away from that giant Serperior."

A bone bounced off my head and tumbled into the grass. I rubbed the spot that had been struck, wincing in pain. I looked up to see Z in human form, picking a bone clean.

"I don't want to hear that from you, human," she growled, baring her fangs. "You're not the one who fought it. It was similar to fighting that accursed Sceptile."

A buzzing sound was above my head and I looked to see Yanmega there, holding a red fruit in his claws. He dropped it into my hands, settling down near me.

I smiled. "Thanks."

I crossed my legs and ate. As I chewed, I saw Luna come back into the small clearing, a pile of vines in her arms. She dumped them to the ground and straightened.

"When you're done eating," she turned her golden gaze onto me. "Help me with this."

I swallowed. "With what exactly?"

"We're tying these together," she explained, sitting as she tugged some vines closer to herself. "We're going to wrap them around us so we can be linked together. If one of us falls, we'll all fall together."

I bit into my fruit, then spat it out quickly. "Wait, what!?"

She remained serious. "You'll be our biggest liability."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I grumbled.

"All I'm saying," Z tossed the bone behind her as she stood. "Is don't make me have to save you all."

She morphed back into a Zoroark and padded into the forest.

I finished my fruit and went to help Luna. It took us a while, but once we were done, Xera and Z had returned, a sac in Xera's arms. She sat it down, several colorful fruits poking out.

"Let's get going," Xera said, gazing at the plateau before us. Just last night we had reached the edge of the forest and just feet away was the huge plateau. It was as if the very crust of the earth had risen above the rest, creating a massive wall for hundreds of feet. It wasn't totally vertical, more slanted. There was even a path leading up the side, but Luna said it stopped at a certain point.

We began hiking up it, Leavanny by my side and Yanmega flying ahead of the group a little. Luna and Zoroark were in the lead with Xera taking up the rear, alongside Grovyle. Dewpider clung to her shoulder, staring up the plateau. I looked back down at the jungle below. First I had shipwrecked in a cove, then I ended up in the jungle, rescued by the Jungle Tribe.

I couldn't help but feel a pain of longing. Despite everything, I had spent quite a while surrounded by trees and thick foliage. For some strange, twisted reason, it felt like I was leaving home. Again.

I remembered when I had first left home. We were in Western Galar, in one of the coastal cities, helping load onto the ship. We were going to set course for the Unovan Colony, and if nothing checked out, we would head down South.

I breathed in. If I concentrated hard enough, I could still taste the salty breeze and the rank of fish. The sound of the waves and the rocking of the boat as I stepped onto it, careful not to drop the box of rations. But I had managed to catch myself on a stray rope and I was falling...

...

"Woah there," a gruff voice said and something big and blue caught my fall. I was helped back to stability and I turned to see a Swampert in front of me, nodding at me. Behind him was a middle-aged man with a white beard and cap. The Captain.

"Thank you Swampert," I smiled.

"Hah!" the Captain patted his Pokemon on the shoulder as the two passed each other. "Swampert is always there to lend a hand. Here kid, let me."

He held out his hands and I passed over the crate. "Thanks, sir."

He chuckled. "No need to thank me. We still have more boxes to load. Hurry it up."

I nodded and hurried off the boat via the ramp, my feet landing on firm wood. I strode across the pier where Ryan was checking the boxes.

"Limes," I heard him say. "Lots of limes."

He must've heard me coming up behind him because he turned his head to look back at me. "Hope you like limes little bro. Cause we got plenty of 'em."

I grabbed a crate. "I don't want scurvy out there. Doesn't matter if I like them or not."

"Good answer Lee," he grinned. "Help me with all this will ya? These should be the last ones, then we can set sail for the New World."

I nodded and shooed away Ryan's Wooper who was on a box, sniffing the limes. I hefted it up and made my way back to the ship. Once all the boxes were loaded, the Captain announced, "Alright men, we're heading out to the New World! The thrill of adventure awaits!"

The sailors cheered, Ryan and I among them, cheering as well. As the boat began sailing away from Galar, I looked to the open sea. Clutching the chest Ryan had brought back from his deployment, I whispered out to the horizon.

"We're going to find it, Dad. The place in your stories."

I opened the faded emerald chest and unfolded the map inside. The map of our destination. "We're going to find the Mysterious Region."

...

"Liam!"

Xera had jabbed me in the stomach, bringing me back to the present. "Stop daydreaming. It's time to climb."

We had stopped and I looked up to see the wall of rock. There looked to be plenty of handholds, but that didn't mean it still wouldn't be difficult.

"Here," Luna handed the rope to Xera after she was done tying it tightly around her waist. Xera took it and did the same, handing it off to me.

"Um," I felt embarrassed. "I don't know if I would tie this well..."

"Outsider," Xera muttered under her breath, taking back the rope and tying it around me. She finished tying roughly and turned back to the wall of rock. "Let's get climbing."

"Yanmega," Luna looked at the bug. "Take up Dewpider. There should be another sort of path somewhere up there. Z, take Leavanny and Grovyle."

Zoroark nodded and transformed into a Dragonite, which seemed to be one of her preferred forms. She grabbed both Leavanny and Grovyle and shot upwards. Yanmega followed once Dewpider climbed onto his back.

"C'mon," Luna began climbing, Xera following close behind. When it was my turn, I didn't allow myself to hesitate. If I did, I probably would never climb.

...

"This is insane," I hugged the rock face as a gust of wind swirled past. "Truly insane."

"Hurry it up down there," Xera shouted from above. "We don't want to have to carry your weight!"

I grimaced and reached up my hand. I gripped a handhold, small pieces of rock grinding beneath my fingertips as I pulled myself up. I moved my foot around to feel for a foothold, and once finding one, pulled myself up higher.

"C'mon Liam. You can do it."

"Ryan," I breathed, his name lost in the wind.

I risked a glance upwards. The sheer amount of distance we still had to climb was nauseating and Xera and Luna were nearing the limits of the vine. Remembering all the encouraging words Ryan has ever given me, I tried to go faster.

"Don't lose your holding now."

With those words, my foot slipped and dangled in the empty air. I gripped my hands tighter on the rock surface, clenching my teeth.

"Shut up," I didn't want to look. I found the foothold again and resumed climbing, my muscles aching. I couldn't go on for long.

"Do you really want to be the one to kill your friends."

I looked behind me to see Eric standing in the air, the span of the jungle behind him. I could even see the ocean from here.

He grinned. "I never needed to try and kill you all. You were going to do it for me, right here."

"Shut up," my eyes were wide, teeth clenched harder. "SHUT UP!"

Wind blew past me, fiercer than before, causing me to close my eyes as I hugged the rock face for fear of falling. When I reopened them, Eric had disappeared.

"LIAM!" Xera yelled down angrily. "Hurry up! We don't want to be here till nightfall!"

Gritting my teeth, I ignored my fatiguing muscles and climbed.

...

I was on all fours, panting as sweat dropped onto the rocky surface. We were on a ledge, big enough to hold us all. Well, Z had to transform back into a human so we could all fit, but we did.

"At least that was the last section of climbing," Luna was by an entrance to a dark entrance. "This tunnel will lead up to the top of the plateau. Then it's all downhill from there until we reach the mountains."

She looked on edge. "However, I have to warn you. What lies above could kill us. Exercise caution. And don't breathe in too much."

"Too much of what?" Xera asked the question I was unable to.

"Poison," Luna grimaced. "You'll see once we get up there."

"This will be interesting," Z bared her fangs. "I wanna see how much it's deteriorated."

"You know," I said, taking another deep gulp of air, which was somewhat thinned. "You guys could try to exercise some optimism from time to time."

"This isn't the time for joke," Luna said, walking into the tunnel first. "Now come on. It's nearly nightfall. We'll make camp in here. We don't want you falling off the plateau in your sleep."

"Hah hah hah," I breathed, looking out at the horizon. I could see the moon rising slowly over the ocean more in the East, dusk coming to an end. In that same direction I saw the huge flower that marked the position of the Jungle Tribe's home. The distance was great, but I knew I still had longer ways to go.

A voice on the cold night wind. Ignoring the words, I muttered, "Shut up, Eric."

**I'm having to deal with a loss at the moment, but I'll still hopefully get out a chapter of LDOC today or tomorrow. I have to keep myself busy. Till then. Toodles**


	4. Chapter 3: Islands of Poison

As soon as we reached the surface, I had to hold my hair down as the wind blew fiercely. The tall grass swayed in one direction, as if it were all moving behind us. The Central Mountains looked much closer and much larger now across the great plain of grass. However, it wasn't totally plain.

"What are those?" I questioned Luna when she came to stand next to me, pointing towards the closest 'thing'. It appeared to be a lump of ground, similar to a hill, trees and shrubs growing from it. It was in the distance, but not too far off, yet I could tell it looked sickly. It appeared to have a purple hue and it even looked like the branches were dripping liquid.

"The path we have to follow," Luna grimaced. "The path of giants."

"Huh?" I took another look. "Nope. I do not know what you mean."

She sighed. "Those giant statues back in the Hall of Giants? These are their graves, or so I was told. What grew atop of them are trees and plants, but they're mostly made of poison."

"How is that possible," Xera said, shielding her face against the wind. "And what is that smell?"

"Smell?" I was confused. I tried taking a sniff of the air, but nothing. Then, "Oh."

"Oh?" Xera was plugging her nose. "You only NOW smelled it!? That stench is terrible!"

I shrugged. "I guess I'm used to smells like that. Back in Motostoke, it smelled almost exactly like this all the time."

Xera's eyes went wide and she spat, "Outsiders!"

Even Luna shook her head. "This smell is toxic, no buts about it. The fact that you're used to it... what kind of horrible world did you live in?"

I looked away, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed. I knew exactly the kind of world I had lived in. One full of breathable poison, constant wars, and death. Last I knew, tensions were still pretty high between Galar and Kalos. Another war is possible, not that I would probably ever find out.

"Anyway," Luna looked back at the islands, many dotted around the plain of grass. "I think they're like this because of those giant creatures themselves. From what I can gather, they stored poison in the trunk on their back. The fact that they were one with nature, but also could produce poison, likely meant they could create these. These are their graves and it is also the path that leads to the Central Mountains."

"I'm guessing we should avoid them?" I asked.

Luna nodded. "If possible. Somewhere right in-between us and the mountains is a huge cluster of them. I seriously recommend going around at that point. Some Pokemon have managed to make their home on the islands. Because of that, they've been... corrupted."

"Great," Xera was still holding her nose, but Leavanny offered her a mask woven from string. She put it on and took a deep breath. "Oh, this feels so much better."

Leavanny made masks for all of us, even the Pokemon. Her skills at weaving were top notch.

"Thanks," I smiled behind the mask.

"Leavaaaany," she cried, smiling, then put on her own mask.

"Let's go," Luna looked at the sun, which sat just atop the ocean in the East. "I don't think we'll make it before nightfall, but I want to get as close as possible and avoid everything."

"Everything?" I asked as we all began walking at a brisk pace.

"There are still wild Pokemon about," Luna said. "Small ones that hide beneath the ground, in the tall grass, and even ones that roam the plains. Of course they like to avoid the islands of poison, so we'll stick along that path, but not too close."

We all nodded in agreement. Yanmega flew above me and eventually settled atop my head. Z padded along in her Zoroark form, occasionally shifting the mask to sniff the air.

"What are you doing?" I asked after the third time.

She growled at me and Luna said, "Trying to see if any Pokemon might be trying to sneak up on us. Though, we shouldn't have to worry about that much now. We're near the islands now."

To our left was the first island of poison along our path. We were probably 50 feet from it, but even that seemed too close. The trees and shrubs growing on it were definitely plants, but they pulsed with the color purple, poison dripping from the leaves. I'd occasionally see something rustle in the poisonous foliage and would feel the presence of something staring at us from within. We passed without incident, but that still didn't make me feel better.

"Look," Xera pointed to the right and far in the distance, I could see a herd of Pokemon roaming the plains. Their stocky muscles and bushy hair instantly recognizable.

"Bouffalants," I said, amazed. "I've only seen them in books. They're pretty common over in colonies apparently."

"Nice to know," Luna said. "As long as they don't come near us, I'll be happy."

I watched the wild Pokemon as they stopped running and begin to graze in the field. From what I knew, they would stay for a while in one spot, then run together as a herd in search of either a water source or better plains to graze in. Yanmega seemed disturbed by them and was back to flying just a little ahead of me.

Another island of poison blocked the view between us and the Bouffalants, the towering trees looking ominous. Despite being clustered in one spot, they were pretty tall. I saw something move on a branch, so I focused in on that spot. At first I couldn't see anything, but then I saw the shape of a Pokemon. It looked frog-like, but then disappeared before I could get a better look.

"They're watching us," I warned Luna, not so sure of what 'they' were.

"I know," Luna said, and I realized with a start, she was uneasy.

The island was soon behind us and I looked for the Bouffalant. Only, they weren't there now.

"Odd," I murmured behind my mask. "I thought they were supposed to graze for a while."

I racked my brain for an answer to this puzzle. I did a lot of studying on the Pokemon in the Unovan Colony in particular, so I had to have the answer somewhere.

_"Why would they move?" _I wondered._ "Not enough to graze? No, maybe a threat? But what could threaten them? Something larger?"_

I was so focused on thinking that I nearly missed it. A slight flicker of purple. My head shot up, eyes wide. I stopped, gazing at the sea of grass to my right. The wind was still blowing past us, but it had slowed down. I concentrated, gazing at the grass. I was sure something was there, something purple...

_"Oh crap,"_ I thought. "Help!"

I ran, stumbling over myself as something lunged through the grass towards me, claws outstretched. The wind rippled behind me and I heard a cry of pain. I looked up to see Yanmega charging another attack as the purple cat stood back up.

"Liepard," I breathed, then I felt myself get hauled backwards. I was in the air for a moment, Z having flung me behind her as she pounced at the Liepard. The two began to tussle in the grass, then I fell back on the ground with an _oomph_.

Luna hauled me to my feet. "Come on! Those things don't hunt alone out here."

We began running, Yanmega firing blasts of wind into the grass, Leavanny slicing through the tall grass in front of us to make our path easier to run through. Z was back, bounding alongside us. There was a bit of blood on her flank, but I had no way of knowing if it was her blood or the Liepard's.

I heard Xera yell from my side and I turned my head to see what happened, only for me to get pulled to the ground. I turned onto my back to see a Liepard rearing its head back, ready to sink its jaws into me.

A blast from Yanmega brought it off of me and I rolled to my knees. I tugged at the sword, bringing it out. The Liepard hissed as it stalked around us, eyes narrowed. My hands shook. I knew cutting down the Pokemon would be my only way out, but the thought of the blood and the lifeless corpse kept me from acting.

"Heh," I heard Eric's voice on the wind. "Seems like you can't do it. Your brother sure died for nothing."

I heard something behind me rustle. I turned quickly, bringing my sword up. A Liepard had snuck up on me, springing towards me. I swung my sword, the flat of the blade smacking into the Pokemon's head. Part of the blade must've cut the Liepard, a bit of blood dripping from her head. Yanmega had blasted the other Liepard away, buzzing angrily.

Xera came out of nowhere, stabbing her spear into the Liepard's side, blood dripping from the point.

"Come on," she said. As we both ran with Yanmega flying above us, I noticed she had scratched along her arms and face. Nothing too serious by the looks of it, but enough to get her pissed off by her expression.

"Blasted creatures," she gripped her spear tighter. "I'm going to kill the lot of them."

"Where's Luna!?" I yelled.

"I don't know!" Xera responded, and I noticed she no longer had her mask. Touching my face with my free hand, I realized I no longer had mine. It must've fell off when I had fallen. I looked at Yanmega to check on his and saw it was still there.

A smell drifted across us as the wind shifted direction, stronger than ever before.

"Xera," I warned, noticing we had strayed dangerously close to one of the poisonous islands on our left. There was another to our right, both closer together than others. A path was between them and the sound of Yanmega blasting wind behind us kept us reminded that we were being chased.

"I know," Xera growled. "We have to run between them."

Tall, poisonous trees loomed on either side of us, the smell much stronger now. Xera and I had to cover our mouths to avoid breathing in too much. The air was tinged with faded purple, a sign that there was definitely poison in the air.

Something flew past me and collided with a Liepard behind me by the sound of the yelp. I shifted my gaze slightly to see a Pokemon clinging to the side of a tree, its webbed hands dripping with poison. It formed another throwing star and flung it towards us. I tackled Luna to the ground, the attack flying behind us.

The sound of pain could be heard behind us and we both looked to see several Liepards retreating from several Pokemon. They stood upright and turned to look at us.

"Toxicroaks," my eyes widened as I stood, Xera doing the same. I looked in the direction we were supposed to be running in to see the way blocked by several Greninjas, all purple and dripping with poison.

"They've been toxified," I breathed, coughing on the poisonous air. I brought my hand back to my mouth, trying not to breathe in too much.

"Guard me," Xera said, sticking her spear into the ground. I raised my sword higher as I moved closer to her, trying to watch both the Toxicroaks and Greninjas simultaneously.

Xera ripped part of her already tattered sleeves, wrapping the leaves around her face. She did the same with her other sleeve and tied it around my face.

"Thanks," I said gratefully, breathing coming a little easier.

"Now get ready," Xera said, voice muffled. "We're going to have to fight our way out of this one. I'd appreciate if you didn't hesitate this time."

I gripped my sword with both hands. I heard Eric's laughter in the distant, his comment from earlier still stinging.

"Heh. Seems like you can't do it. Your brother sure died for nothing."

I breathed in, narrowing my eyes, hoping my confident voice matched my nerves. "Don't worry. Not this time."

**Well, they're in a pickle now aren't they. Liam, Xera, and Yanmega vs Toxicroaks and Toxified Greninjas. And who knows what Luna, Z, Dewpider, and Leavanny might be facing during all of this. Till next time my readers, where our travelers dive into the Miasma Forest. Toodles**


	5. Chapter 4: Miasma Forest

A poisonous shuriken clipped my left arm as I dived to the ground, my sword tumbling out of my hands. I reached out and grabbed it, bringing it up just as one of the Toxified Greninjas leaped towards me. On instinct, I raised my sword higher to intercept the enemy, but the Pokemon twisted midair and prepared to strike me. A gust of wind knocked him away and I shouted, "Thanks, Yanmega!"

"Liam!" Xera called my name and I looked up to see her some ten feet in front of me, holding back two Toxicroaks. "Run for it! I'll hold these two back!"

I didn't waste time for a response, I just ran for it, past the Toxicroaks and Xera and out of the narrow area between the two Islands of Poison and into open grasslands. I looked back to see Xera running after me, Yanmega having blasted the Toxicroaks away. Once they caught up with me, we watched as the Toxicroaks and Greninjas began to give chase.

"Oh come on!" Xera shouted angrily as we began running again. "Can't they just stick to where they live!?"

"We have other issues," I warned, my feelings of hope diminishing rapidly. "There's more Liepards ahead!"

Xera's eyes lit up. "Perfect!"

She yelled and charged forwards, outpacing me. The Liepards stalking around in the grass ahead of us took notice and began racing towards her. Only when they noticed the other chasers behind us did they think better of running in our direction.

"Yanmega!" Xera shouted back. "Stop their escape!"

Yanmega flew ahead of all of us, leaving me running alone, both Xera and Yanmega having left me behind. I risked a glance and saw that several Toxicroaks were only around ten feet away. My legs hurt and lungs ached, yet I managed to push myself harder. An explosion of dirt and grass erupted ahead, causing some of the Liepards to trip over the ground or come to a stop.

I ran past them and nearly got killed. Xera was there to save me, stabbing one in the chest and pulling me towards her. She pushed me forwards and we continued running. The sounds of strangled cries and screeches could be heard behind us, but at least we were no longer being chased.

Now no longer entirely focused on staying alive, I took in the view ahead. A forest of poison spread across the landscape, tall trees dripping venom and an eerier poisonous fog drifting between the shrubs. The Central Mountains were so much closer now, but this miasma forest stood in our path, spanning at least a couple kilometers on each side.

I stopped and placed my hands on my knees, my breathing ragged. "I-"

I began coughing, hoarse and rough. I fell on the ground, breathing hard. "I can't go on much longer."

Xera didn't say anything as she kept watch behind us, her breathing sounding more ragged than mine. We didn't say anything for a couple minutes, which hopefully meant we weren't being pursued. I remembered Luna mentioning this forest as a cluster of graves and that we should go around it.

Movement caught my eye. I saw a Pokemon staggering out of the treeline and collapsing onto the grass. It was Leavanny.

"Xera," I rasped, nearly falling over myself when trying to stand. I stumbled forwards, limping slightly. I didn't know if Xera was following me, but I saw Yanmega fly ahead of me towards Leavanny. Now that I was closer, I could see that she held Dewpider in her arms, both looking exhausted. I fell to my knees and rolled them over as Yanmega landed and kept his gaze on the forest.

"Poisoned," Xera said, her voice hoarse behind her mask.

She was right. Both Pokemon had their eyes screwed shut tight, a sickly purple tinge coloring their bodies. Dewpider's bubble was a somewhat murky purple color now.

"This isn't good," Xera held Dewpider close to her. "I don't know ho-!"

She began coughing, her body shaking.

A thought struck me. "If those two were in there, what about Luna? And Z?"

"I don't know," Xera said when she could speak again. "They might already be dead."

"Don't say that," I said, my chest still burning slightly. "We need to find them."

"In there?" Xera sounded like she would be yelling if not for being in pain. "Do you want to die!?"

"They could be in danger," I staggered to my feet, lifting Leavanny in my arms.

"What are you doing!?" Xera gripped my wrist, which wasn't as tight as it normally would have been. "She'll die if she's in there any longer."

I found I couldn't take another step.

"It's the only way," my own voice sounded broken. "We can't just leave them out here."

Xera didn't say anything as she dropped her hand. With a grunt, she pushed herself to her feet. "They better be in there. Or we're gonna die."

"We're going to die anyway," I rasped, feeling sweat dripping down my face. I felt warm, probably had a fever. Xera looked worse than I felt, caked in sweat and her face slightly red. Whether it be the air or getting attacked, I had a feeling we were poisoned somehow. Our time was limited, I could feel it.

Together we headed into the miasma forest, our makeshift masks doing little to protect us from the stench. Yanmega flew above us and he began to look a little weary not long later. We tried to avoid heavy shrubbery as they had sharp thorns and poisoned tips. The poisoned trees blocked most sunlight, a heavy smog in the air. I could hear the sounds of Pokemon and the watchful eyes of some on us.

With each passing step, Xera looked more and more like she was about to just collapse. However, I was beginning to feel better. The burning in my chest had let up and I found I could move easier. Looking at Xera, I figured she was the only one poisoned. But seeing how being in this miasma was affecting both her and the Pokemon, I couldn't see how I was feeling this good.

A flapping sound from overhead, blowing apart the smog, somehow making it thicker. Crobats settled in trees, hanging upside down, their glaring eyes on us. I heard a slithering sound at one point and I looked to see an Arbok coiled around a branch, only it skin seemed to be folded inwards to make it slimmer. Its tongue flickered as we passed, but it didn't attack.

"Liam," Xera said off to my side. I stopped and looked. She was pointing at a spot on the violet forest floor, where it looked liked something big had been dragged.

"Let's follow it," I said and moved to catch Xera as she was about to fall. Her legs shook as she trembled.

"I'm fine," she said, her shaking voice not convincing me.

I put her arm around my shoulder and helped her along. We followed the path made and headed deeper into the smog.

Swaying from side-to-side from branches were what looked like Toxified Wormadams and rolling past us were Whirlipedes. Up ahead I could see a lump. It was Luna.

I tried to pick up our pace, but the ground moved beneath me. Giant purple leaves shifted, making me fall onto my back. I watched as several large plants turned towards Xera, Yanmega, and I, menacing eyes on us, mouths agape. Victreebels. I now could see that Luna and Z were wrapped tightly by vines, probably being used as bait.

Xera pushed herself off of me and gripped her spear with one hand and Dewpider clutched under her other arm. "I can fight. I feel better now."

Her face did have a bit more color in it aside from purple, but she still looked very sick.

I set Leavanny down and drew my sword. "Yanmega, protect Leavanny."

He buzzed tiredly, but settled next to the other Bug type. The Victreebels began creeping their vines towards us slowly, but I sliced one off, causing one of the Pokemon to cry out in pain. Several vines shot towards me, one slamming into my chest, sending me crashing into a tree. The branches shook wildly, dousing me in purple liquid.

As I worked my way to my feet, I saw Yanmega carrying Leavanny and Dewpider away as Xera was knocked to the ground, her spear rolling away. I gripped my sword tighter and hardened my resolve. If I didn't kill these Pokemon, my friends would die.

Several large creatures floated into view from different directions. Dragalges.

"So many Pokemon," I breathed, coughing on the smog as the new arrivals descended towards Luna and Xera.

"NO!" I shouted, charging forwards, swinging my sword. I sliced through the bottom of one of their tails, purple liquid gushing out. It cried out in pain and turned to me. I quickly dove to the side as a spray of liquid splashed onto the ground, sizzling.

The forest was alive now. Poisonous Pokemon of all kind were gathering around the area, either curious or eager for food. Along with the familiar Toxicroaks and Toxified Greninjas, I spotted Skuntanks, Drapions, Scolipedes, and even a toxified Florges.

"I can't win," I breathed, backing up to stand over Luna to protect her. Yanmega had already dropped Leavanny and Dewpider next to us and was dragging Xera over to us. We were huddled up together now, the Pokemon of Miasma Forest all looking ready to kill.

"Miasma Forest," I said out loud. "Of course I come up with a name for this place in a situation like this."

Suddenly, a Crobat flew from the trees and blasted wind at a line of Pokemon, forcing them to move backwards. It then morphed into a Toxified Greninja, firing shruikens at every other Pokemon.

"Z!" I gasped as she transformed into human form.

She began coughing. "How the hell are you not unconscious like they are!?"

"I don't know," I said, swinging my sword around to fend off several Skuntanks.

"Never mind," Z growled. "We'll have to try and get all these Pokemon away before we can try and run for it."

She transformed into a Victreebel and began ripping up the earth with vines, scattering dozens of Pokemon. Yanmega blasted winds at several Dragalges, but his attacks were weakening. I charged forwards to help, swinging my sword. I managed to cut off a bit of one before a blast of energy near me sent me flying. I rolled across the ground, groaning in pain.

Picking myself up, I saw myself face-to-face with a Drapion. It roared and brought down a claw. I raised my sword, my knees getting driven into the ground as I tried to hold back its claw. Then it raised its other arm, claw gleaming purple with poison.

Vines wrapped around the Pokemon's middle and yanked him backwards, relieving the pressure on me. I dropped my arms, panting. Then I saw two Arboks dragging Luna away. I ran for them, only to get body slammed by a Toxicroak. I felt a sharp pain in my side before I was flung backwards.

A Greninja appeared several feet away from me, a torrent of poisonous water rising up behind him. I tried to scramble backwards, but the liquid crashed into me, sending me away. I saw the Arboks coming up on my right, so I swung my sword with my right hand as I passed, lopping off a head.

I crashed headfirst into a bush, sharp thorns digging into my skin. As I pulled myself free, I felt them tear at my skin and my blood drip down my face. I screamed in pain as sharp fangs bit into my ankle. The other Arbok. He had abandoned Luna and was now coming at me for revenge.

I was in pain. Blood was escaping me and I didn't entirely know what was going on around me. I didn't know if Z was still fighting, all I could hear were the sounds of Pokemon clashing, an all-out forest brawl over having us as their meal. I didn't know if my friends were safe, let alone alive.

A sudden aroma drifted over me, calming me and lessening the pain. The Arbok released its death grip on me and looked over my head. A storm of leaves blasted it away and a Pokemon landed next to me.

"Roserade," I mumbled, reaching for wherever my sword had landed. I found it, but the Roserade had already leaped away, crashing noises all around me. Several large Pokemon burst from the undergrowth. They looked like they were galloping on air, their blue and purple manes flowing almost magically.

"Galarian Rapidash," I said in amazement, but it wasn't over. A dreamy pink mist filled the forest, cleansing the air, the smog disappearing.

More aroma settled over me, lulling me into sleep. I tried to resist, tried to find my friends, but my body shut down on me, something tugging me into the darkness, where a peaceful sleep awaited.

**I hope you all realize we're only 4 chapters in at this point and so much has already gone down. I'm trying to put as much detail as I can into this 30 chapter book, but that still won't be half of what is planned. Right now, they're all just trying to get somewhere. The plot isn't really progressing, but it will. I can only do so much action before everyone can just rest. Seriously, I put my characters through so much in just one day XD. Till next time. Toodles**


	6. Chapter 5: Healer at Twilight

I dreamt of nothing. My senses were full of pleasant smells and comfort. A deep, peaceful rest like never before. I could hear a small murmur and sometimes I felt something brush my face gently.

I awoke, the feeling of softness beneath me. The smell of earth and plants hit my nose along with a pleasant aroma. It looked to be twilight through the trees, but large glowing mushrooms lit up the area. Trees were all around me and when I sat up, I saw much of the roots and forest floor were covered in moss. I moved my hands down my body, realizing I was wearing a new set of woven leaf clothes.

An ominous melodious cry directed my attention to a rather tall Pokemon. Her long hair flowed down her body, her head the only part visible. Her eyes were pitch black, her white slitted pupils staring at me. What looked like a witch's hat seemed to be a part of her hair, an appendage hanging down from it.

I held my breath. I knew this type Pokemon. And her being here wasn't good. Not good at all.

Another hauntingly beautiful sound emitted from her as her appendage stroked my hair as she leaned in close. Her eyes inspected me, before making another cry. Immediately, something small and pink emerged from behind a large green mushroom with its tongue sticking out.

_"An Impidimp,"_ I thought as it handed a berry to the Hatterene. She held it out to me and I was hesitant to accept it. A psychic force pried my mouth open and forced me to chew and swallow the purple berry.

Immediately I felt more aware. The soreness and drowsiness I hadn't been aware that I had suddenly disappeared.

Hatterene made a happy jingle like sound before moving away over to where I saw another person lying.

"Luna," I realized and hurried to stand. On my way doing so, I snapped a twig with my foot. Hatterene whirled around, eyes glowing sharply. I froze, bracing for a psychic assault. It never came.

Hatterene calmed down and resumed her almost swaying over to Luna. I carefully walked over as well, kneeling next to Luna, who wore fresh clothes like me. Despite her skin tinged with purple and some unhealed cuts that were a little puffy, her face seemed relaxed. Around her were multiple types of glowing fungi, a sweet aroma coming from them, relaxing my soul.

As much as I distrusted Hatterenes, I had a feeling she was the only one able to heal Luna right now. Looking around, I spotted Xera sitting up against a tree not too far away, new clothes on as well. When I got over to her, she stood and jerked her thumb behind her.

"So," I said once we could no longer see Hatterene. "What exactly happened."

She shrugged. "I know as much as you do. Last thing I remember was falling unconscious while you were still fighting in that poisonous forest. Next thing I know, I wake up here, my injuries healed."

I nodded. "Hatterenes are excellent healers, but..."

The auburn haired girl must've seen my expression, since she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Hatterene," I looked back, afraid she was there, watching. "Back where I live, we call them the Forest Witch. They are not to be trusted and any sudden our loud noise may lead them to attack you."

"Wonderful," Xera muttered. "I take it you had personal experience?"

I shook my head. "Thankfully no. I've only heard stories of unlucky developers trying to cut trees in their forests. Most never survived."

"Well," Xera looked back the way we came. "She seems to be the one who rescued us and healed us. I'm willing to trust her."

I didn't really know how to feel about that, but I had a feeling I had little choice. "So, where's Z and the rest of the Pokemon?"

Xera pointed in a direction. "In a clearing not far from here. I don't think Luna will wake anytime soon, so we can go for now."

Nodding, I followed her. As we walked, I would see the occasional Impidimp, even a Morgrem staring at me from atop a blue glowing mushroom. A cloud of Morelull floated by on the breeze, a Ponyta prancing around up ahead of us in a clearing.

She stopped, staring at us as we entered the clearing. The sky could be seen now, the colors orangish and indigo. Twilight.

"Awake finally?"

Z was leaning against a nearby tree, looking totally fine despite what she had been through in the Miasma Forest. Then again, I felt perfectly fine as well. Yanmega buzzed from overhead and practically knocked me over when he zoomed into my chest. Leavanny gave a cry and joined the hug.

"Hey there," I grinned, rubbing their heads. "Thanks for all the help you've given us. I don't know if we would be alive without either of you."

Yanmega buzzed happily while Leavanny gave a cry and I looked to see Xera smiling with her Dewpider and Grovyle.

"I'll admit," Z smirked, fangs showing. "You weren't half bad yourself in that fight."

"Really?" I was surprised.

"No," Z snorted. "You were totally helpless it would have been funny if not for the situation we were in."

"Oh," my face dropped, but Yanmega buzzed his wings, trying to distract me.

"You know," Xera looked up from her petting of Dewpider. "I've been wondering about that forest. How were you not affected, Liam?"

"I..." I thought back. It was true. I remember wondering why I was actually feeling better while Xera had been getting worse in the Miasma Forest. "I don't actually know."

A melodious cry resounded from behind me, nearly making my heart stop. I turned to see Hatterene there, floating around her our supplies and weapons. For a second I thought she was going to attack us with our stuff, but she set them down on the mossy floor and left.

"She said Luna will be better soon," Z announced once Hatterene was far enough away. "We'll have to leave the Twilight Forest tomorrow."

"How'd you get that out of nothing?" I asked, shocked.

"She communicates through her psychic abilities," Z answered. "She could probably talk to you too, if she felt like it."

I shuddered. I really didn't want that.

Despite my instincts warning me to stay away, I said, "I'm going to check on Luna. See if she's awake yet."

Xera nodded. "We'll all be here."

Nodding, I set off where Hatterene had left. Xera or Z didn't say anything as I left, so I assumed this was the right way. After a minute of walking, I saw a Rapidash leaning her head over, her horn gently touching Luna, who was still asleep. I went over and saw that she no longer had a purple tinge. With her white hair splayed out beneath her and her face adorning a gentle look, she looked so peaceful.

The Rapidash withdrew, neighed at me softly, then left, the Ponyta from earlier prancing from the bushes to follow. I looked back at Luna, whose eyes were open now.

Before I could say a word, she jabbed me in both eyes.

"Ow," I rocked and fell on my back. "What was that for!?"

"You were staring at me when I was sleeping," she said, straightening her hair. "Not creepy at all."

Sighing, I blinked, the pain ebbing away. "Glad you're alive, Luna."

"It was a close call there," she winced as she held her hand to her head. "I assume we're in the Twilight Forest."

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"Z and I have been here before," she answered. "We're at the base of the Central Mountains. I say everything went well."

I blinked at her. "Went well? We all almost died!"

"Shh," she held up her finger to her lips. "You want Hatterene to come and kill you?"

That shut me up real fast.

"Look," Luna held out her hands. "We're all here and alive. That's what matters..."

"Everyone is here and alive, right?" she asked, unsure now.

"Yes," I affirmed. "Xera and I both had to come and save you and Z. Nearly died. If it wasn't for the Pokemon that helped..."

Luna nodded. "We're going to have to rely on Pokemon a lot from here on out. This island is a dangerous place where humans could easily be taken out by the dominant species."

"I would assume we're to leave in the morning?" Luna asked.

Nodding, I asked a question of my own. "Yes, but how will we know. As far as I can tell, its only been Twilight since I've woken up."

She smirked. "This is the Twilight Forest for a reason."

Luna stood and stretched, wincing. "Still a little sore, but considering what I've been through, it's to be expected. Liam, lead the way. We should regroup."

"Fine," I stood. "Are you sure you should be moving around. You only just-!"

I muffled my cry as she punched me in the arm. "I think I'm good. My punch feels as strong as ever."

Blinking back involuntarily tears, I pointed in the direction I had came and led the way. Once we reached the clearing, Luna cleared her throat. "Alright, pack up everyone. We're leaving right away."

"Don't we still have time to kill?" Xera asked, eyes closed as she lay on the mossy ground.

Luna smirked. "Best not to waste time. We may just have narrowly avoided death, but that doesn't mean we should stop for too long. We're right at the entrance to the Central Mountains, so our destination is close. I don't know about you Xera, but I would have thought you, Liam, would be desperate to know your reason for being here. What the prophecy has to do with you."

"You can of course stay, Xera," Luna shrugged, gathering her bow, arrows, and spear. "But I hope you realize sometimes Hatterene unleashes psychic energy for no reason. Enough to blow the mind apart."

"And how would you know that," Xera sat up as Luna began walking away into the forest. "Huh? Answer me!"

Picking up my sword, I looked at Yanmega and Leavanny. Getting out of this forest appealled to me greatly. Sure, this place had wonderful aromas and an overall pleasant feel to it, and after the Miasma Forest, this place was perfect. But, the stories of all those people, those children who fell victim to Hatterenes... That alone was what made me want to leave, and fast. So when Luna said we were doing just that, I wasn't going to hesitate.

"C'mon Xera," I said, rushing past her, Leavanny walking beside me and Yanmega flying just above my head.

"I hate you both," Xera growled, but she grabbed her spear and hurried after us.

Grovyle carried Dewpider as he jumped from branch to branch, Luna's pace a fast walk, Z matching her steps in Zoroark form. Part of me wondered if she had her own reasons for not wanting to be here. Another part wanted to ask, but the rational part of myself advised against it. At least for now. There was still a lot I didn't know about Luna.

The thought made me pause in my step. There was a _lot _I still didn't know about her. Why was she so determined to find out more about this prophecy? It couldn't be just for me. I may not have known her for that long, but I knew that couldn't be her motivation.

"Then what?" I thought as I resumed walking when Xera shouldered me as she passed. "Who exactly is she? Daughter of the Chief of the Moonlit Tribe, but that can't just be it."

"Answers..."

The word floated along the breeze, a soft whisper in my ear. At first I looked around, expecting to find Eric, but my blood froze when I saw Hatterene instead.

Her eyes glowed eerily white. "You seek answers. But for what purpose?"

Her head tilted and I finally realized I had stopped walking. I tried to move my legs, but they were stuck.

"William Walsh," she spoke, the sounds of the forest having gone silent, her voice the only sound. "Your fears, your pain, your sorrow. Never forget. He shall be the one who watches from your nightmares."

A shudder went down my spine as I heard a distant laugh. Eric's.

"Hold tight," she spoke, feet from me now. "That sword will guide your destiny. Your arrival brought change. The Forbidden Light awaits you. Secrets are always around you."

Her eyes slowly turned red. "The truth, if that is what you seek in all things, may be your downfall."

Her whole body began to glow and my eyes burned from the intensity. For a moment, time stopped in a sea of white, Hatterene's appendage caressing the side of my face, a sweet smile on her face.

"Remember, survival is key."

**Bit of an odd chapter for me to write, don't know why. Anyway, coronavirus abound and now I don't have school until nearly May. Well, the upside is more time to write. So you all look forward to it. I may even get near to completion with this book, and get closer to the end for LDOC as well. Self-quarantining myself is hard, but I must do it... Who am I kidding? This is practically my life. Till next time readers. Stay safe and healthy. Toodles**


	7. Chapter 6: The Mountain Pass

"Well, we're here."

I blinked, looking around. We were no longer in the Twilight Forest. In fact, I saw no signs of it anywhere. Behind us were the grass plains and the islands of poison. In front of us, looming over us, were the Central Mountains. The grassy terrain gave way to a rocky one, a path leading upwards.

"When did we..." I scratched my blonde hair, then winced in pain as I tried to move my hand away. My hair was getting longer and more tangled.

"I don't know exactly how the forest works," Luna said, looking back at me. "But it's both their and not their at the same time. Probably how it's always twilight there. Now come on. We have a lot to climb here."

"Not actual climbing, right?" I asked hopefully as Yanmega buzzed around my head.

Luna shook her head. "Nope. The elevation is going to go up by a lot however. Make sure not to fall."

"That's not very reassuring," I whined, trudging along after Luna and Xera. Leavanny walked behind me, making something out of leaves and string. The sun beat down on us, the humidity not as bad as it used to be in the jungle. However, not that far into the climb, I was already sweating buckets.

When we stopped for a breather, Dewpider hopped off Xera's shoulder and climbed up me. She began blowing into the bubble surrounding her head, enlarging it. Soon, it was big enough to envelop my head. I found I could still breathe in it, the cool air refreshing.

After a minute, I pulled my head out. "Thanks, Dewpider. That felt good."

Dewpider scuttled happily back over to Xera, climbing onto her shoulder. Smiling, I found I had more energy to spare. Suddenly, a shadow fell over my head and something was fitted over my hair. Leavanny smiled at me and I shifted my eyes up to see the brim of a leaf-woven hat, matching well with me clothes made of the same stuff.

"I don't know what you guys see in me to do all this for me," I rubbed the back of my head, grinning.

"I know, right," Eric said, sitting atop the rock I was leaning on. To my credit, I didn't give a reaction.

"Why is it that they've taken a liking to an Outsider like you," Eric leaned over me, the lack of his shadow further proving that this was all just in my head. "Perhaps they're as hopeless as you are."

I felt my face tighten as I ignored him, rubbing Yanmega's head. To further distract myself, I gazed at the view we had. We weren't as high as we were supposed to get according to Luna, but we were pretty high. The rocky trail was littered with loose pebbles, but it was wide enough so that even if we tripped, we were less likely to fall to our death.

At this point on the climb, we were on the outer, smaller mountain. Across from where I leaned against the side of the rock wall, I could see another mountain. Past it I could scattered jungle, the marshland, what looked to be a wasteland. I figured the ocean would be in view once we got to a higher point.

To my left, towering over the rest, was the central mountain of the Central Mountains. I think I could see a path on it, but it was too far to tell. Below us was just rocky ground and a small river snaking its way through. The path we were on kept going up at a steady pace, and according to Luna, there would be a point where we would have to 'jump' to continue the path, and I was afraid of what that meant.

Occasionally I would see some Flying types soaring high above us or a quadrupedal Pokemon I was pretty sure were Mudbray. Aside from that, if there were anymore Pokemon living here, they were hiding from us.

A small scrabbling noise, then a couple loose pebbles fell on me from above. I glanced up, shielding my eyes from the sun. Vines hung down the rock wall and small shrubs and plants grew from the cracks. Whatever made the pebbles fall wasn't to be seen.

_"Or maybe I'm overthinking this,"_ I shook my head, drinking some water from my flask.

"Break time's over," Luna announced, already on her feet, Zoroark stretching beside her.

"Time to go," I nudged Yanmega and he fluttered his wings, lifting himself into the air.

I grabbed onto the rocks to help myself up, my legs somewhat sore. We continued on though and after about ten more minutes, we came to a point where the path turned sharply to the left while ahead of us it ended in a sheer fall, stone pillars jutting up from the ground, all different sizes. Some were larger, able to hold maybe two people, but some looked narrow enough to only hold a nimble Pokemon, such as Leavanny. Across from here was another path where a single tree with few leaves grew on the edge, vines hanging from it.

"Okay," I nodded, turning my feet to the left. "Off we go. We shouldn't stop while we're still able to mo-urk!"

"Hold it," Xera snagged the back of my shirt, pushing the front roughly against my neck. "Luna?"

"Yeah," Luna nodded. "We have to cross here."

Xera let go and I nearly stumbled, catching myself, and looked at Luna. "Seriously? You want us to cross that? Are you sure are destination doesn't lie down this path here?"

Luna's golden eyes held some amusement when they settled on me. "Nope. That will only lead down towards the Southern part of the island. That's wild territory and definitely no Mountain Tribe."

Xera shrugged, gaze fixed on the tree on the opposite end of the chasm. "Figured as much."

She took a step forwards, then sprinted, pushing herself off the ground with one foot. She landed on a sturdy looking pillar on one foot, but didn't stop. She continued to hop from one pillar to the next with no breathers. In no time, she had crossed the what had to be a 20 foot chasm.

Luna slapped me across the back. "C'mon, Liam. Don't chicken out at this point."

Yanmega flew down in front of me, head tilted. Leavanny then knocked him on the head and said something to him. He appeared to sigh and shook his head at me. I took that as a sign that he couldn't give me a ride. I understood since I didn't want my weight to damage his wings, as they were fragile enough as it was, but I was still disappointed.

"Fine," I groaned and looked at the closest pillar. It was close enough for me to jump to easily and wide enough to support me. The trick would be to keep my balance.

Not letting myself anymore time to think, I let myself run and jump. For a moment, I feared I had over jumped, but my feet caught the last space on the pillar and I felt it rock slightly. Amazingly, I managed to keep my balance far easier than I had expected.

"Hey," I laughed nervously. "This isn't so bad. It's quite similar to the rocking of a boat."

Granted, it did take me days to get used to the rocking of the boat my brother and I sailed on to here. But I had managed to get accustomed to both gentle and rough waves rocking the ship. So this, this was nothing.

Gathering up my courage, I leaped onto the next pillar, thinner than the last. It rocked quite a bit more, but I gritted my teeth and stayed firm, holding my arms out to keep steady. Taking a deep breath in, I decided to try and do it like Xera. I jumped, landed, then jumped again, barely giving myself time to judge how far I would need to jump. I didn't even think about how big or thin the pillars were, which actually turned out to be a bad thing.

"Woah!" I shouted, the pillar beneath me cracking slightly. It was a small one, just enough room for me to put both feet down on it. It had a very thin support, swaying dangerously. I gulped and tried not to look down, but it was unavoidable. We were far up now and the fall would surely leave me a bloody mess on the rocks below.

"Jump!" I heard Luna yell and Xera grimaced from about 7 feet away, nearly ready to leap after me.

A buzzing noise, then several legs held onto my head. They helped my stay steady as Yanmega helped support some of my weight. Gradually, I was able to balance myself and the pillar's shaking lessened, but I feared it would break soon.

"Thanks, Yanmega," I said, wishing I could smile, but the thought of smiling wiped that away. Taking another deep breath, I leaped, hearing the pillar crack from the force of my jump. I heard multiple crashed when I landed on the next pillar. I looked back and saw the falling pillar hit several other pillars, causing them to start to fall.

"Oh crap," I thought, taking another leap just as the pillar I was one was hit. In just a few moments, I had leaped to safety next to Xera.

"Good freakin' job," she said with disdain as I could hear crashing sounds. "You just ruined the natural landscape and made it harder for Luna, Z, and Leavanny to cross."

I was on both knees, sweating hard, and looked back. A dust cloud was rising into the air, many of the pillars having fallen. Luna had her hand on her face, probably groaning, as I surveyed the damage. There were still a ton of pillars left, but most of the ones that were usable for crossing were now destroyed.

Xera slapped me in the back of the head. "Outsider."

Luna, however, had jumped. There were now larger distances between the still standing pillars, but she managed to leap across to our side with incredible ease.

"How-!?" I was shocked.

Two Yanmegas buzzed down near us, one of them turning into Zoroark. Leavanny got off the real Yanmega, checking me over to see if I was hurt.

"That's nothing," Luna said, then hit me on the head like Xera did. "Next time though, just try not to mess things up to the point where we die."

I sighed. At least she was safe.

Luna gazed at the destruction I had caused. "With the amount of noise that made, we probably attracted attention from the Tribe and native Pokemon. I don't know how kindly they'll take to you destroying their ho-!"

She was cut off as she was suddenly yanked off the cliff. Zoroark lunged for her, but was driven back by a sudden eruption of a sandstorm. I shielded my eyes, but I was still blinded, the pain intense. A roar filled my ears as the mountain began to shake from a fierce pounding that started a rockfall from above. Through the sandstorm, I could see a large shape moving towards us slowly, raising a huge boulder.

I blinked rapidly, rubbing my eyes as I bumped into Xera. Slowly, the large thing became clearer and I would've widened my eyes if not for the sandstorm. Covering my mouth, I breathed its name.

"Regirock."

**So I might end up not being able to go back to school until Fall... So basically online school until then. Fun times. I hope you all are managing to stay busy during this coronavirus business and are being safe. Until next update. Oh, I'm also very tired, so this message from me is lacking, if you couldn't tell. So, yeah. Toodles**


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